Yakuza 5
Ka zuma and co return fas hionabl y lat e to West ern PS3s
For those not versed in the ways of the virtual Japanese underworld, the Yakuza games follow the journey of former-gangsterturned-family-man Kazuma Kiryu, who finds himself being constantly pulled back into the world of organised crime and ultraviolent soap drama. Think of a beat-em-up crossed with a JRPG – one that’s watched too much insane Japanese TV while wandering around a semi-open world – and you’re close to getting the unique Yakuza formula.
Yakuza 4 added multiple characters and stories, turning the series into a pleasing ensemble of criss-crossing narratives, and Yakuza 5 wisely continues this trend to dazzling effect. Long-serving (or should that be long-suffering?) protagonist Kazuma is back for another outing, and this time he’s joined by four other, equally complex and memorable characters. The same themes of old-school loyalties clashing with new-world ideology ring louder than ever in this instalment, likening the series to popular television shows such as Sons Of Anarchy or The Shield.
The core combat model of the game – where initiated fights turn the open-world exploration into Tarantino-esque burly brawls – remains the same, but there’s still plenty of depth and nuance to be found beyond the ability to pick up the nearest scooter and use it like a baseball bat (no, really). The windows for counters feel tighter than ever, while contextual finishers (a la Sleeping Dogs) feel crunchier and sicker without ever feeling dated.
As you might expect, Yakuza 5 comes with a smorgasbord of side activities that populate its hyperstylised take on urban Japan. From taxi driving (a first for the series) to secret arcade cabinets with frame-perfect renditions of Virtua Fighter 2, Sega’s sumptuous sandbox offers an open world like no other.
It’s Shenmue post-puberty, and it wears the eccentricity of its mother culture without a drop of shame. Those activities and mini-games are more present than ever, evident in the rhythmaction dance routines of fan favourite – and now playable character – Haruka. Fun, colourful and ultra-Japanese, these moments are Yakuza 5 down to a tee.
If you’re going to turn up to the PlayStation party three years late and be locked to a now-inferior platform, you’d better bring your ‘A’ game. And that’s exactly what the fifth entry in the Yakuza series does. Bigger and bolder than ever before, it’s a fitting swansong for Sony’s seventh-gen console, and proves to be the series’ most ambitious game to date. A curio Yakuza remains, but what a curio.